


Got Your Back

by JB Burge (beggar_always)



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Episode Tag, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-18
Updated: 2009-11-18
Packaged: 2017-10-03 07:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beggar_always/pseuds/JB%20Burge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After "The Berrisford Agenda." Alec goes out for a drink, only to be found by a concerned Original Cindy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Got Your Back

Original Cindy was surprised to recognize the figure slumped in the corner of the dingy bar. It wasn't Crash, first of all, and she'd never seen him drink anywhere else. But just seeing him alone in an establishment full of fine honeys set all kinds of alarm bells off. At least at Crash the night before he'd been brooding out in the open. Sulking in the corner couldn't be a good sign for a socialite like him.

OC got up from her table (Hector and Timmy were getting all catty with each other anyway) and made her way to the back corner table.

"Smart move, turning down Mila," she said. Alec's head shot up and he looked genuinely surprised to see her standing in front of him. Cindy frowned, knowing he had to be out of it if she'd managed to sneak up on him.

"I sent her away because I felt like being alone," he mumbled as OC plopped into the chair next to his.

"Hate to say it, sugah, but a bar generally ain't the place to try for lonely. 'Specially not on a Thursday night." Alec gave a miniscule shrug and finished off the liquid in his glass. Scotch, Cindy saw when he lifted the bottle to pour himself another drink. She let him be silent for a moment.

"You gonna tell Original Cindy why she ain't never seen ya in here before? I thought Crash was your place." Alec scanned the room before glancing at her.

"Thought it was yours too," he retorted. OC shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

"It's my main," she agreed. "But I got lots of peeps hang 'round here."

Alec was staring into the amber liquid at the bottom of his glass and OC frowned, seeing just how drained he looked. If she didn't know any better, she'd even say his eyes looked puffy. And was that a cut on his lip? With a sigh, she leaned forward, forearms resting on the table.

"Level with OC here, boo," she said gently. "What's got ya so spun you're hangin' out in a gay bar?" That got a bit of a smirk out of him, but Cindy could tell it was hollow humor.

"Honestly?" he finally asked.

"Sure." She felt something in her tense as he looked at her.

"I came to a gay bar because I know it's the last place Max will ever look for me." He looked away to finish off another shot.

"Why you avoidin' our girl?" OC asked quietly. Alec sighed and leaned back in his chair to evaluate his tablemate with a long look. It was something the female had noticed all the transgenics do (at least the ones she'd met). Like they were calculating risk.

"You were in the Army once, right?" Alec asked abruptly. OC straightened in her chair, wondering how he'd learned that.

"Yeah..." she agreed cautiously.

"You ever do anything you wish like hell you hadn't, but you did anyway because it was an order and you thought it was your duty?" He was speaking way too coherently for having less than half a bottle of Scotch left. OC swallowed hard and looked down at her hands on the table.

"A few things, yeah," she admitted. She looked up as Alec nodded a bit in acceptance. It was odd, starting such a conversation with Alec. It was generally assumed the man never felt guilt for anything and while OC knew there was more to him, she'd never expected him to ever show her as much.

Alec filled the glass again and pushed it to her, waiting for her to swallow it all before he took it back.

"I was in love, once," he said so quietly Cindy barely heard it. Her eyes widened and she found herself leaning forward in her chair. Alec left the glass on the table and took a swig straight from the bottle, not meeting her eyes. Truth was, Cindy didn't know what to think, let alone how to react. She'd always believe Alec wasn't quite as shallow as he let people think. But Alec in love? Even she hadn't guessed that one.

"What's me followin' orders and you bein' in love got to do with one anothers?" she finally prodded when Alec stayed silent. The bottle sounded heavy as he dropped it back on the table.

"It started when I was still at Manticore," he whispered. OC frowned and shifted in her seat, getting prepared for a long story. But Alec went silent again. If he hadn't looked so screwed up, she would've gotten frustrated. As it was, she just felt a strong urge to hug him.

"Who's the dick, Cin?" Both the X5 and the ordinary jumped at the new voice. OC spun to see a very drunk Hector standing in front of their table, gazing hungrily at Alec.

"My little brother. Boy's off limits. Beat it, Hector."

"Oh I'd like..." Alec stood before Hector could finish slurring his thought. Original Cindy stood quickly as well and just barely managed to grab Alec's arm as he brushed by the drunken gay boy. She was surprised the transgenic actually stopped, tilting his head back enough to let her know he'd listen if she spoke.

Original Cindy glared at Hector, still in earshot, before she grabbed her jacket. Taking Alec by the hand, she pulled him toward the exit. "Come on boo," she encouraged as she felt him hesitate. "OC's got a quiet thinkin' spot."

Cindy had found the 24-hour coffee shop during her first week in Seattle. It wasn't much, but the tables were secluded and the coffee was always fresh and hot. The female settled in her chair as Alec scanned their surroundings. She sighed and signaled to the lone waitress to bring over two cups. Alec sat slowly in the chair next to hers.

"Well I guess it is quiet," Alec said quietly. Only one other table in the place was occupied, by another quiet couple.

"Mmhmm. Perfect place for ya to spill," OC agreed as the waitress dropped off two steaming cups of java.

Alec took a cautious sip and made an appreciative face. "Not bad." Cindy gave a wan smile as she took her own drink, waiting on Alec to really talk. He glanced at her before taking a deep breath and staring into his cup.

"They trained me to be an assassin," he finally said in a voice barely above a whisper. Cindy had heard as much from Max. "I was good. Best in my unit." It didn't escape OC's notice he seemed bitter about that fact, not proud. He took another drink of coffee and she thought she might have seen his hand shake a little as he set it down again.

"A couple years ago they decided to put me in for deep cover ops. Long term type stuff. They had a Manticore partner who was getting antsy and they wanted watched. He just happened to have a teenage daughter who just happened to need a piano teacher..." Alec went silent and Cindy frowned as he stared into his coffee. It was so unlike Alec to have trouble speaking. The trouble was usually trying to get him to shut-up.

"Heard ya playin' at doggy-dog's." Alec looked up at that for a moment before he took another drink. Cindy wondered if the scotch had even done anything to him. She'd never seen Max drunk and she had to wonder if X5s had unlimited alcohol tolerances. "You got skill."

"They made us to be fast learners," Alec dismissed. OC shook her head.

"Not always 'bout hittin' the right notes, boo. Sometimes it's 'bout hittin' the emotion. And you, my brother, knocked it over." A past relationship with a singer had given Cindy greater access to the music scene than most other people had those days.

Alec looked up and she managed to hold his gaze for longer than a second. There was a depth in his eyes she hadn't had much chance to pay attention to before, but sitting alone in the coffee shop made her wonder if a piano would even survive what he'd play right then.

Alec looked away again and started picking at the edge of the worn table. "Her name was Rachel," he whispered, voice cracking slightly in a way OC had never heard Alec's voice crack before. "And she loved me."

Alec swallowed hard and Cindy realized he was fighting himself to keep from crying. "What happened?" she asked softly. Alec turned miserable eyes her way and she was torn between fleeing and pulling him to her.

"My orders were to kill them both," he said huskily. "Set an example. I couldn't do it." And now OC knew he was trembling, just slightly. He must have noticed as well, looking down at his hands. "Tried to tell her. Told her to run. They killed her anyway. With the bomb I..." Alec paused to swallow. "The bomb I put under their car."

Alec downed the remainder of his coffee as he let it sink in for Original Cindy. She gave up on the thoughts of fleeing and leaned slightly closer to him.

"They knew you told her?" she asked. Alec shrugged slightly.

"They were watching me. Wanted to make sure I didn't screw up my first deep cover solo op. They never fully trusted us, ya know? Always had a fail safe in case we screwed up." Alec's gaze was blank as he looked around the shop.

"What brought all this up now?" Cindy couldn't help but ask. "And why avoid our girl Max?" Alec went back to worrying at the table edge.

"I forgot about it."

"Forgot about it?" Alec met her eyes and she felt like shrinking back from the intensity in them.

"S'called re-indoctrination," Alec practically spat. "Brainwashing, to put it mildly. They erased me and put back what they wanted." Alec sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "The process isn't perfect: they made us with photographic memories, after all.

"Max and I had a run the other day. Rachel's house. Triggered the memories." Alec took a shaky breath. "I went back there. She's still alive, technically. Comatose; body's giving out. She won't last another week.

"Max showed up. Thought she was doing me a favor, keeping the guy from killing me." Cindy frowned at the statement and noticed Alec had gone still as well as silent.

"You wanted him to kill you?" she asked quietly. The eyes he lifted for her were hollow and she had her answer even without him speaking.

"Would have cured more headaches than just mine," Alec said so sincerely Original Cindy had to honestly consider it.

She leaned even closer to him as he stared at the table again. She thought carefully before speaking. "That's why the rest of us have Aspirin," she finally told him. He looked at her, eyes shining in the dim light. She gave him a small smile. "You're worth keepin' round boo." Alec gave her an almost bitter smile as he looked away again.

Original Cindy put a cautious hand on his shoulder, hoping to get through to him. She was surprised when, after only a moment's hesitation, the X5 covered it with his own. He still didn't look at her though and she had no way to know if he believed her.

"What's Max say 'bout all this?" she asked. Alec shrugged and squeezed her hand lightly before pulling it from his shoulder. He kept ahold of it though, setting their hands on the tabletop.

"She doesn't know the story. Probably just thinks it's an old mission I screwed up. Just like I always screw up." OC squeezed his hand.

"You ain't a screw up, Alec," she assured. Alec scoffed a bit and shook his head, staring at the table. She ran her thumb along his knuckles in an attempt to be comforting.

"Will you come home with me tonight?" he asked in a quiet voice. He made eye contact with her as she squirmed uncomfortably. Not that she wouldn't admit that Alec was gorgeous, but he was a _he_, after all.

"Sugah ya know Original Cindy don't swing your way." Alec gave her a small smile.

"I think the issue is you _do_ swing my way," he pointed out before turning serious again. "And it's nothing like that. I just..." He took a deep breath as he glanced at their hands and she knew he wasn't used to being vulnerable. "I don't want to be alone tonight. I'll sleep on the couch, swear to god." OC gave him a slight smile as she let go of his hand to rummage around in her jacket pocket.

"Believin' in god now, eh?" Alec gave her a smirk.

"Well, you know, when it's convenient to get girls to go home with me." OC laughed as she left a five dollar bill on the table.

"Well come on then, boo," she said as she stood. "Cindy's dyin' to see this legendary crib of yours." Alec smiled awkwardly and stood to lead her out of the shop.

"You loved this girl, huh?" OC asked quietly as they walked through the streets. Alec shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"Didn't figure out that's what it was until the other day," he scoffed. He made brief eye contact with his friend before focusing on the path in front of them. "They don't exactly teach you emotion at Manticore. At least, not how to use your own. Manipulating others? They give you years on how to do that."

Cindy slipped her arm through his, feeling him tense momentarily as she did so. He relaxed a bit after a few seconds. "I lost my first love," she whispered. Alec looked down at her in surprise and she gave him a sad smile. "Diamond was...damn she just was. Taught Original Cindy who she really is."

"What happened?" Alec asked after they'd walked awhile in silence. Cindy took a deep breath.

"She was always on the wrong side of the law. Ended up in one of them private prison dealios where they experiment on the prisoners. Gave her a virus she couldn't kick."

"I'm sorry," Alec said sincerely. OC shrugged.

"Thanks boo. But it's okay. I know she's in a better place, lookin' out for OC." Alec hung his head a bit. "What?" He stopped walking and she turned to face him.

"I wish..." He swallowed hard, staring down at his feet. "She was running away from me...when the bomb went off. Scared of me. She's going to die hating me. Knowing I killed her." Cindy took hold of his wrist, pulling his hand from his pocket so she could take it in hers.

"Boo she _loved_ you. Whatever she was thinkin' at the moment, she knows now it wasn't you who killed her." Alec scoffed and tried to pull his hand away. Cindy held it tightly until he made eye contact. His eyes were shimmering again and OC could see anger in them.

"She didn't even know me!" he hissed, leaning forward a tad threateningly. OC held her ground. "Hell there wasn't even a me to know. All I was was Death to her!" Cindy heard the hitch of his breath and she frowned in sympathy. She put a gentle hand on the side of his face as he looked away, getting him to look at her again in surprise.

"Alec you're an ass sometimes," she told him softly. "But you ain't evil. Even Manticore couldn't squash the good in you and you tried to save her. Sugah, that's all you do sometimes." Alec closed his eyes, causing a tear to fall. He pressed his face into her hand slightly, seeking comfort he wasn't used to

Cindy let go of his hand and his cheek and slipped her arms under his and around his middle, pulling him to her. He hesitated a long moment before returning the embrace, his arms wrapping around her tightly as she felt him bury his face in her hair.

They'd been standing there for a few minutes when Cindy's beeper chirped, causing them both to jump. They both stepped back as she pulled it from her pocket. "It's Max," she told Alec, recognizing the number. He looked pale as he wiped a hand over his face and she wondered if he'd been crying on her.

OC walked a few feet down the sidewalk to a pay phone and called her roommate back. "Sup boo?" she asked when Max answered.

"Ya been at Crash tonight?" Max asked. Cindy could hear the worry in her tone.

"Nah. Went to JoJo's with the boys." She could practically hear the frown across the lines. "Why?"

"Just wonderin' if you'd seen Alec."

"Alec at JoJo's?" OC asked with a laugh. Max laughed a little too. "Your boy in trouble?" OC felt more than saw Alec watching her and she knew he could hear the conversation, despite the distance.

"I dunno. Just...if you see him, let me know." Cindy glanced at Alec who was looking at her pleadingly.

"A'ight girl. But Original Cindy's on her way home with a fine honey and she doubts she'll be out again tonight." She gave Alec a small smile and was happy to see him return it.

"Ooo. Have fun. See ya tomorrow?"

"You know it." Cindy put the phone back on the hook and faced Alec again.

"Fine honey, huh?" Alec asked with a smirk. OC raised an eyebrow and the smirk faded quickly.

"What'd she see that got Max all worried 'bout you?" she asked him seriously. He looked away, hands going back into his pockets.

"Dunno," he whispered. OC looked at him skeptically but let it go.

Alec's apartment was nicer than OC expected and surprisingly tidy. Of course, she remembered how long it'd taken her to get used to messy again when she'd left the Army.

"Drink?" Alec asked, moving into his kitchen as Cindy slipped out of her jacket.

"Nah. I'm good."

Alec came back out with a glass of water for himself and set it on his coffee table before he took off his own jacket. "Just...uh...make yourself at home," he told her, taking both jackets and throwing them over the back of his armchair.

"Nice place, boo," Cindy said, plopping down next to him on the couch. He looked at her awkwardly before leaning forward to pick up the television remote.

"Thanks. TV?"

"Sure." It took a few minutes of channel surfing for Alec to relax back against the couch next to her. "Not used to entertainin'?" she asked with a knowing smile. He smiled back, looking a bit sheepish.

"Not like this," he admitted. Her smiled widened as he gave her a wink. There was the Alec she knew.

Alec stared at the TV as his expression turned serious again. "Thanks...for this," he told her. OC watched him for a moment.

"Anytime boo," she told him. He looked at her in surprise and she gave him a soft smile. "Original Cindy gives ya a hard time cuz she cares. But she's got your back. I got your back."

Alec inhaled sharply and looked back at the screen. OC was surprised when he held out a hand for her, but she took it, smiling when he gave her hand a light squeeze. She knew he wasn't ungrateful, just unsure how to voice his gratitude. She'd been patient with Max, she could be patient with Alec.

\------

There was a steady THUMP beneath Cindy's ear and she frowned as she became aware it was there. She was warm and comfortable, though, and didn't feel much like opening her eyes to investigate. Her pillow shifted slightly and Cindy's eyes flew open as she realized she wasn't alone. She sat up quickly and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was only Alec.

They must've fallen asleep watching TV. Alec's legs were stretched out on the coffee table and OC had found her way more or less to his lap. Her head had been resting on his chest, she guessed. Alec's eyes opened as she moved and she felt the arm around her back tense for an instant before relaxing.

"Hey," he greeted sleepily. They realized at the same moment they were still wrapped around one another and each sat up quickly, moving for opposite ends of the couch. The pair stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact awkwardly.

Original Cindy broke the silence first. "Cindy best be gettin' to work," she said. She stretched and finally looked over at him. "Got a bathroom I can borrow?" Alec pointed to a door across the room.

OC frowned as she flipped on the light and saw the broken mirror. She remembered, vividly, Alec's reaction at Joshua's and what it'd taken from Max to get him off of the dog-man. Max had been pissed, but the others, including Joshua, had watched him leave in concern. OC thought she'd heard that "anger" was one of the five stages of grief, and she wondered if Joshua and the mirror were the only ones to have suffered before Alec had moved on to the next stage.

"What happened to your mirror, boo?" Cindy asked softly as she left the bathroom. Alec flinched slightly as she walked around to sit on the edge of the couch again.

"It looked at me funny?" Alec said lamely, only looking at her from the corner of his eyes. She rolled her eyes and he sighed. "I'm too tired to hit anything else, I promise." She watched him for a long moment before nodding in acceptance. "You'd better go or you'll be late."

"You want me to cover for you?" He looked at her quickly.

"Uh..." He sighed. "Yeah," he admitted. "I honestly just feel like going to bed." Cindy stood, picking her jacket up from the chair. Alec started to stand, but she pushed him back down with a hand on his shoulder.

"I can show myself out," she told him. She started to move away, but Alec caught hold of her hand and she turned back to him.

"Thank you," he said quietly, making eye contact. OC smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Like I said, anytime boo. Want me to swing by after work?" She could see him seriously consider it before he shook his head, breaking eye contact as he let go of her hand.

"Nah. I'm good." OC ruffled his hair, getting a small smile out of him.

"Ya got my number."

With a final look, Original Cindy turned and left.

\------

Twenty minutes later she walked into Jam Pony and headed straight for the desk.

"Normal!" she called three times before getting the attention of her boss.

"You gonna tell me missy-miss has the measles again?" he asked in an annoyed tone, barely looking up from his stack of envelops. Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Actually it's about your Golden Boy..." Normal looked up quickly at that.

"Alec? What about him?"

"Boy's a little...hungover," Cindy explained. "Not gonna make it in today." Normal frowned in concern and OC resisted rolling her eyes again. Normal had an unhealthy obsession with that boy.

OC was just getting ready to leave with her first set of runs when Max came strolling in. OC took a deep breath as her roommate came up to her, not looking forward to lying to her.

"Alec in yet?" Max asked immediately.

"Nah. Called in sick." OC was glad to see genuine concern on Max's face. The girl could be too hard on him sometimes.

"Maybe I should go by his place..." Max said absently as OC closed her locker.

"I'll swing by there, boo," Cindy offered quickly. "Got two runs right by there."

"Ya know where he lives?" Max asked in surprise. OC cringed inwardly as she realized she wasn't supposed to know that.

"Yeah. Ran into him on a run a couple days ago. Like I said, got runs in the area. I'll check on him."

\------

Original Cindy spent the next two days covering for Alec with just about everyone. She told Max and Normal she'd checked up on him (a fact she could tell puzzled the female X5) when in reality she'd been giving Alec his space. He'd find her if he needed company.

And he did, the second night.

She wasn't surprised to spot him waiting in the shadows outside of JoJo's. She'd specifically gone there instead of Crash, expecting him to show up.

Excusing herself from a drunken Timmy and Leah, OC crossed the street to where he stood, leaning casually against the side of an office building. He stood straight as she approached and he let her pull him into a quick hug.

"Hey boo," she said, stepping back. He gave her a sad smile and she frowned. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He gave a tiny shrug and looked down the street with a sniff.

"Knew it was coming," he dismissed quietly. "Funeral's tomorrow." OC slipped her hand in his and gave him an understanding smile when he looked down at her.

"Want me to go with?" He considered it a moment before shaking his head.

"I'll go by later," he said, taking a steadying breath.

"Want me to buy ya a coffee?" she asked as he fell silent. He looked at her with a small smile.

"Thought I'd go back to my place and glue myself to the boob tube." OC smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Sounds good," she agreed.

/end


End file.
